Licence Department: public agitated after early closure

While the female staff members from the Mogale City Licence Department allegedly were sent to celebrate Women’s Day, several members from the public started their public holiday in an agitated mood.

On 8 August the NEWS was flooded with telephone calls from members of the community who took time off from work to either renew or receive their driver’s licences, but had to face a locked gate and a notice informing them that the department will be closed from 10am except for bookings made for learner’s and driver’s licence tests.

Johan Otto, who went to the department to obtain a licence disc for his vehicle, says that the cashiers got up from their chairs and left.

“A few stayed behind to help those who were still busy, but the rest of the public were shown away at the door,” says a highly disgusted Otto.

He also mentioned that an elderly man of around 80 years stood in the wrong queue and when he got to the front, he was told to go to another counter and queue there.

“This is an ongoing problem here. There is never anyone here to help you if you do not know where to go, and now they waste our time too.”

Another irate person, Veronica Lupos wonders if those employees are being paid for the day.

“This is ridiculous. The public holiday is only tomorrow. None of us understand why they chose to celebrate it today.”

Lupos says that a few of them gathered outside the premises and managed to contact another department head who told them to stop complaining.

“The person basically told us to f*#k off,” says a very angry Lupos.

The NEWS spoke to a few shocked drivers who arrived at a locked gate.

Dumisani Kunene from Kagiso owns a business in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and drove all the way from there to receive his renewed driver’s licence since his temporary one has expired. He says that this situation is placing him in a very difficult position.

“It is frustrating. I have my business in KZN and just came to collect my driver’s licence; now I don’t know what to do.”

He says the closure of the licence department have stolen valuable time from him as he has no choice but to wait until Monday to receive his licence.

Heida Breet and Estelle Esterhuizen both said that they have taken time off from work to renew their driver’s licences.

Esterhuizen said that she had to drive all the way from Randburg just to end up at a closed gate.

“Why did they not place a notice that the office would close earlier, now we have wasted our time and fuel for nothing, and I have to ask my employer again to give me time off to come through – this is ridiculous.”

The NEWS reporter asked the security guards at the gate why the gates are closed, but none of them were able to say.

One commented that the notices have been on the gate for over two weeks, whereby Johnny van Eeden who brought his daughter for her driver’s licence, responded: “If I have made a booking three months ago, why would I come to the department earlier? They should have advertised it!”

Despite some hiccups at the gate when he brought his daughter for her test, she managed to be allowed in for her booking.

The NEWS tried to phone the head of the department on 8 August, but no one answered.

Questions demanding answers from the municipality was sent on 12 August.